Product differentiation is harder than ever. One of the most overlooked yet highly strategic moves a SaaS company can make is to meet customers where they already work: inside Salesforce.
Salesforce is more than just a CRM, it’s the command center for revenue teams, account managers, and business leaders in over 150,000 organizations. If a significant portion of your customers or target market uses Salesforce, building a custom integration isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a competitive advantage.
But here’s the catch: you don’t need to publish an AppExchange app to capture that value.
1. You reduce friction and increase adoption.
When your product data, workflows, or insights are embedded directly into your customers’ CRM, users don’t have to leave the platform to get value. That means higher usage, better visibility, and stronger renewals.
2. You win more deals in competitive bake-offs.
Enterprise buyers often prefer vendors who already integrate with their core stack. If a competing solution forces their team to swivel between systems while yours fits neatly inside Salesforce, you’ve just tipped the scales.
3. You give customer-facing teams real-time context.
Imagine an account executive being able to view key customer metrics, support tickets, or NPS scores without leaving Salesforce. That’s not just convenient, it’s powerful.
The AppExchange is a great distribution channel, but it’s not the only path. Many SaaS companies assume they must go through the full security review process and publish an app to benefit from Salesforce integration. That’s not true.
Here’s why a custom integration may be the smarter move:
This is especially useful if you're early in your Salesforce journey or if your integration is only relevant to a subset of customers.
It can be as simple as:
These integrations can be deployed via managed packages, unlocked packages, or even directly into a customer’s org, depending on your strategy and roadmap.
A custom Salesforce integration is more than a technical feature; it’s a strategic asset. It shortens sales cycles, deepens customer engagement, and gives your product a seat at the table in your customers’ most critical workflows.
Whether or not you ever list on the AppExchange, the ability to meet your customers in their CRM gives your business a real edge.
If your customers live in Salesforce, your product should too.